Thursday, October 05, 2006

POST STILL IN CONSTRUCTION- UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON!Post completed!*WARNING*Link is not for the Faint of Heart, Pregnant Women, Mamby-Pamby Men, or those of you that may be capable of severe histrionics. May cause sleeplessnes and make it hard to wake up in the morning. Increased desire for the eating of Mud and drymouth are common occurances.Brain Salad Surgery is always an option.No Sexual side effects have been appreciated so you'll have to just move on.You must be this tall to ride this ride.

http://theremaining.org/The program this year is called "The Remaining". Tomorrow, Saturday the 7th October, is the first competition event of the year, UIL Regionals. Two years ago they placed first at Regionals and last year they fell to second; they were .05 pts. short of a tie.

Three weeks before the start of school, the Athletics Department begins the two-a day practices we have all heard the Football Players grumble about about.At the same time, the L.D. Bell Band starts their three-a-days.The Director, Mr. E, refers to his kids as 'Student Athelete Musicians"; they drill for 8 hours a day for 4 days a week before school starts up for the fall. Its serious business and the kids...well they have to be dedicated to the program.I wish I had the words to describe the overall presentation.As amazing as the show is, its the practices that knock my socks off.They will practice a 30-second segment over and over and over again- sometimes 10 times before they move on to the next segment. Five days a week, over and over again. The whole time., Mr. E is giving instructions over the Bullhorn. Last year, he told them that they must"Play with emotion...playing with emotion doesnt mean playing softer, its playing hurt, and bold and dark and loud and you have to bring the Audience onto the field, right in front of you where they can see the tear in your eye and they know you mean it...now we do it again" and the kids say in unison"HUSTLE" and they run back to their starting points.They do it till their lips bleed.Desire ,Dedication, Teamwork, Constant Improvement towards Perfection. Being on time, ready to work. Following insrtuctions. Getting enough sleep and eating right.Confidence and Self-Esteem.

Last years show was called "Ascension" and the Music was taken from "Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin, 'Dark Blue World" and finished with a piece by Jennifer Higdon called "Blue Cathedral". 'Blue Cathedral" was written for her brother who had fallen to cancer, and the music soars with emotion. The visual effect is stunning as the 60 members of the *Color Guard divide in 1/2; one lays on the ground while the other ceremoniously covers her with one of the several flags that are used for the show. The music is somber. Then as the girls rise, as they "Ascend", spiralling and floating on enormous Lavender and Gold flags, the music comes to a Crescendo.

This years program is a continuation of that theme..."The Remaining". The Intro is a heartbeat, slowly enter a very hollow sound thats made by dragging a bowstring across the edges of the Marimbas, bring in the bells and a little Boris Karloff sounding keyboard. The Band begins a discordant 10 second moment that sounds like they are warming up ...discord fades into Harmony and away we go!Though we compete tomorrow, it is still very much a work in progress, and will be until we go to Indy in November.

Kissyface, you might be interested to know that in the Music for almost every Band I have seen perform, there is at least one movement that is so Zappa its frightening. All disjointed and convoluted and complicated and very...well, its a trip! First the drum with a choppy beat, then up and down several scales on the Marimbas as fast as they can, then a couple trumpet Blasts and then they stop it on a dime. Wash, rinse and repeat."Have a cup o' coffee, give my foot a push"

There may be Video of me 'bumpin' and grindin" and I will be proud to put it up.I mean, I can swing my arms and stomp my feet, andI may look as though I'm double- jointed,I can assure you completelyI'm no Bill Cosby.I am all the way broke down.